Individual-finger developer.



L. B. 'BBALL.

INDIVIDUAL FINGER DEVELOPER.

APPLICATION FILED APRJB, 1905.

No. 802,026. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

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a v I I Her aftorlzey.

mcmzw a mum on PNOW-LVYNDGRAPNERS, msmuawu, ov a LIZZIE B. BE ALL, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

INDIVIDUAL-FINGER DEVELOPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed April 13, 1905. Serial No. 255,450.

To a Ll/7710777, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LIZZIE B. BEALL, of the city of Decatur, county of Macon, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Individual-Finger Developer, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an appliance by means of which each finger of a hand may be independently exercised and developed in strength and suppleness, and the idea is embodied in a somewhat yielding and flexible rod or bar of a size and shape to be placed between the fingers and in position to form a resistance to the muscles of some particular finger.

The invention is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and it is defined in the appended claims.

In the'drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a diagram of a finger-developer in operative position between fingers of a hand, and Fig. 2 is a detail of the developer in its preferred form.

The developer, as shown, comprises a short rod or bar which is approximately circular in cross-section and is made in part of hard rubber and in part of softer rubber. The hard-rubber part of the rod is shown at 1 and the softer rubber at 2. The most desirable form of the developer is that shown in Fig. where a represents a depression at the longi tudinal center of the rod, and b I) represent depressions located on the opposite side of the rod, each part way between the center and an end of the rod. The depression a is for the finger to be exercised and the depressions b I) bear against the adjoining fingers.

In operation the developer is placed somewhat as shown in Fig. 1, the position depending upon the finger to be exercised, and the finger outside or above the rod is pressed forcibly against the rod. The stress of the muscles is maintained for a few seconds at a time. A short interval of rest may follow an exertion, and the tension follows relaxation repeatedly until the desired amount of exercise is obtained.

Use of the developer day after day increases the strength of the fingers. As the fingers increase in strength the time of exercising may be prolonged, and in time any finger may be strengthened to conform to the other fingers. The appliance is particularly useful in developing the third and fourth fingers, as these are usually weaker than the others, and it is of particular service to musicians.

The shown conformation of the rod and the provision of the soft-rubber cushion on one side thereof are details of development which add to the efficiency of the device and to comfort in its use; but they are not entirely indispensable nor incapable of varia tion.

I claim as new- 1. An individual-finger developer, comprising a slightly-yielding rod having a central depression on one side and a pair of depressions on the opposite side between the center and the ends of the rod, substantially as described.

2. An individualfinger developer, comprising a rod composed mainly of hard rubber, with a soft-rubber surface on one side, said rod having a central depression in the hard-rubber side, and a pair of depressions in the soft-rubber side, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LIZZIE B. BEALL. Witnesses:

LOUIS B. CASSELL, Rosa VoELcxER. 

